Boiling Point
by Madame Poppy
Summary: Everyone has a boiling in which they just snap and attack anyone. Ed does it all the time. Now, so does Alphonse. Rated M for mature content.
1. Chapter 1

Title**: Boiling Point**

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that his once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertaiment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

---

**Chapter One**

"Brother…. Brother!" Al's human voice sounded so strange, so scared. "Brother! Help…"

The older Elric brother was already beside the younger one, smiling through tearful eyes as he removed his jacket and wrapped the timid boy in it. They've done it. They've really done it! Al… Alphonse finally regained his body. Edward sniffed and began wondering what wet thing was on his cheeks. Tears?

"Brother… we… did it," Al gasped, forcing himself to breath. God, it was such a painful task. "We really… did it."

Ed let a small sob escape his lips. "Yeah," he said, voice cracking. "We did."

---

It took several months for Al to fully function his body without the aide of Ed. The first couple of weeks were the most grueling, since Alphonse would throw up anything solid he ate, tired quickly when he tried to sit up on his own, and suffered the most peculiar nightmares.

The older Elric made it his mission to make Al's recovery as pleasant as he humanly could. All Ed needed was hints. Did Al shiver? An extra blanket and pillow. If it was a nightmare, he would be more than willing to snuggle up to Al and murmur words of protection. Did Al's tummy rumble? A second helping of nice warm stew for him, and Ed would eagerly wait by Al's side and asked him how the stew was.

Nothing was spared when it came to Al. Only the best for his little brother.

What made Ed's heart swell was that Al didn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting from his older brother. Those caring eyes, that soothing voice. The gentle touch. They all felt so damn good.

Too damn good.

---

"Brother? What are you reading?" Alphonse leaned over Ed's back as he tried to catch a glimpse of whatever Ed was reading. He saw rather yummy pictures of food and a list of ingredients. A cookbook perhaps?

"Just some things," Ed answered, shutting the book before Al got to determine the type of book. He looked behind his back and patted the armrest, inviting Al to sit onto his lap. "Come 'ere."

The younger Elric was more than happy to oblige, already forgetting about the book. He leapt over Ed and landed on his lap with a soft 'umph!' Arms snaked their way around him, one flesh and the other metal. He snuggled up to his older brother, an activity they both enjoyed.

"What are you thinking about, Brother?" Alphonse asked after a while. He laid his head on Ed's chest and silently counted the number of heart beats he heard.

"I'm thinking about what to make for dinner," Edward sounded grumpy, but he made it in a way so that it was funny. Al chuckled. "What? Don't think I can cook anything, other than stew?"

Reaching for the book, Al said, "No, but you sound like your afraid to cook anything else." He flipped through the pages and stopped at one that looked sweet. "How 'bout this?"

One look at the page and Ed grimaced. "Too many steps." He took the book from Al and flipped through the pages, trying to look for something easier.

Alphonse focused once more on the sound of the heartbeats. They were soothing but he wanted it's rhythm to be a bit faster. More like his own when he was this close to his brother.

Without thinking, Al moved his hand under Ed's shirt, the back of his fingers lightly touching his brother's skin. Ed didn't seem bothered by this. The only effect the touch had on him was his heart rate increased by a bit.

Al smiled. That was more like it. But it still wasn't fast enough. Shifting his gaze ever so carefully at Ed, he braved is hand to go higher. Again, he got no reaction, that is until he reached the little nub on Ed's chest, causing him to squeak. "Al…" he said warningly. "Too high."

Blushing, Al lowered his gaze from his brother's face and stammered, "S-Sorry! I was just- B-Brother!!" Al squealed with laughter as Ed thrust his hands under Al's shirt to tickle him. He wriggled and desperately tried to move away from his brother's hands, which seemed to know just where to poke him.

"That's what you get for trying to tickle me!" Edward laughed, catching his little brother as he wriggled off his lap. Once he stopped to let Al catch his breath, he smiled and looked at the page he left the book on. "Since I won," Ed said smugly. "How's about we order take out?"

---

After dinner, Ed tucked his brother to bed and kissed his forehead, like always. Al made soft sound and mumbled, "You act like a parent, Brother. I can go a night without kisses and hug."

"What? You saying you're tired of them already?" Ed smiled softly, reaching to stroke Al's head. "I have to. One of us has to be a grown up to survive."

_I just wish I could help you though,_ Al thought. _I wish I could make you warm and happy, like you make me._

"Brother?" Ed was already making his out of the room when Al called him. "Is it okay if I enlist in the military too?"

Ed made a sour face and shook his head. "No." With that, he shut the door behind him, leaving Al to wonder what was about his brother that made him so… secure.

---

Edward was special, Al knew that. He was special for special reasons. For one, Ed gave up his right arm to save him. Another, being the fact that they were brothers. But that didn't explain why his heart raced whenever Edward was so close.

Maybe it was because he could actually feel now? No. Otherwise anyone's kindness would make him feel this way.

So what was it?

Also, Al started having these… _thoughts_ about his brother. Weird thoughts. _Sexual _thoughts. Alphonse might not have gone through puberty, but Ed didn't spare him from the 'Talk' because of that. Al knew what lust and love and sex were. Ed had told him about it. But what Edward didn't tell his brother was that you could have these feelings for anyone.

Even brothers.

TBC in CH. 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that his once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertaiment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: Here's the second chapter, thought I would love to hear opinions. w R&R, please!

---

**Chapter 2**

Society was a cruel thing. It had rules and regulations, some of which Al thought was stupid. Like that whole "No speaking against the Fhurer" thing. Society also managed to control the way people thought. It wasn't necessarily a law, but incest was generally frowned upon. Same with homosexuality. So that was a double whammy for Al. He couldn't bring himself to make Ed an outcast. But he couldn't bear the fact that Ed might get with anyone else other than him.

Stupid society.

So what was he going to do? It was clear that he couldn't tell Ed about his feelings. Even if he did accept him, how would they go about telling Winry and Pinako that the brothers would be lovers? What would that do to Ed's career as a state alchemist?

Would the military go after him? Execution? The last thought seemed a bit too out there to actually happen, but he didn't want to take chances. The military could do all sorts of stuff to one's mind…

_Wait a minute. _The military could do all sorts of stuff to one's mind. Like… Like… _Keeping me from thinking about Brother! _Al thought excitedly. Of course! If he went with Ed on missions and traveled with him like before, he would soon forget about his feelings and (with luck) he would get over Ed!

But Ed wasn't allowed to take Al with him anymore. Mustang wouldn't have any of that. So then… the only way to travel with Ed was…

Al grimaced. _Join the military._ He already had this talk with Ed. Ed said no. But maybe, if Al built a strong enough case and showed Ed that he really, _really_ wanted to join, he might let him.

The younger Elric stood from his bed he was sitting on. That's it. Just go speak to Brother and tell him you want to join. Don't take no for an answer.

---

Alphonse sighed impatiently, as Ed continued to rant. He had gone with his plan, but Ed's reaction wasn't one that left him hopeful. Al join the military? Hah! Over Ed's dead body. It was bad enough that Mustang was Fhurer, now Alphonse wants to dirty his hands and work under that bastard?

"You just got your body back, Al," Ed hissed. "And now you wanna waste it by enlisting in the military!?"

The younger Elric wait to be sure Ed was finished. Sometimes he would barely open his mouth, just to be silenced with more ranting. Deciding now would be the best (and perhaps the only) time to make his argument, he said, "Brother, you say it like it's a bad thing. Did you forget it's different now that Mustang is in charge?"

"Oh, it's different alright. It's worse!"

"Brother…"

Ed gave a sharp wave of his hand, silencing Al. "Why would you want to enlist anyway? Killing just isn't you thing."

"Who said I want to kill? I just…" Al's voice trailed off. "I want to help you, Brother." Lie. Main point of him joining was so he could get over his feelings for Ed. So that he could move on. "…Is that really so bad?"

The expression of Ed's face faltered. No. It wasn't, he thought. He would love to have Al on his journeys, but they were just too dangerous. What is Al got injured? Or worse? "No," Edward said softly. "It's not bad, but I don't want you to enlist. You could get hurt." Then, he made his voice firmer. "No."

Al slumped his shoulders, but already he had seen this coming. It didn't mater if this plan didn't work. Al would make sure the next one would. _Time for plan B._

---

Plan B should have been easy. To get over Ed by going out on his own. He always went to places with his brother, but this time, if he went alone, he might get over him.

The day was clear and the sun was bright. Ed was still at work, so Alphonse decided to check out that store around the corner that had all these flashy lights and blushed as soon as he realized it was a stripper place. He went to get some ice cream and then to the park, where he amazed little kids by making fixing toys with alchemy and teaching the little ones about the basics of alchemy.

When he handed the newly fixed toy to one boy, the toddler asked, "Is it magic?"

Al answered with a smile, "No. It's alchemy." When the boy tilted his head in confusion, he explained, "Science. Only, you could do just about anything you want." He pointed to the toy train the boy held. "Like this, if I wanted to make it something else, I could."

The boy was about to respond when he heard a small cry from another, smaller boy. "Uh-oh." The older one said. "Sammy hurt himself!" He quickly turned from Al, and ran over to his fallen little brother, who was on the grass, crying and clutching his knee.

Al couldn't help but smile as the older brother kissed the younger boy's knee and showed him the newly fixed train. The smaller child whimpered and hesitantly took the toy, mumbling something to the older brother.

"They sure look after one another, don't they?"

Al looked to the source of the voice to see a woman smiling sweetly at him. Figuring she must be the mother he nodded. "I have an older brother too," he said, without thinking.

"Really?" the woman smiled even more. "Did you come here with him?"

Al coughed a bit at the question. "N-No. He doesn't really know that I'm here, actually…"

"Oh? Are you hiding from your brother?"

"No! I just… thought sometime on my own would do some good for me." Al watched as the boys began playing on the grass, each one taking turns in trying to see who could make the train go farther.

"Well, I hope he doesn't worry." The woman smiled and called out to the boys, "Sam! Jack! Time to go!"

Followed by a couple of 'awws' the boys trotted over to their mother. The older boy, Jack, smiled sweetly at Al. "Thank you for fixing Sammy's train!"

Al blushed lightly and said, "Your welcome." Watching the boys leave, he stood alone, thinking about how things used to be between him and Ed. The lady was right. He should be going home, Ed might get worried.

---

There was tiny flaw in Plan B. And it was that Al never went out alone before. So when he returned home, he panicked as he saw his brother in the middle of their living room, sobbing uncontrollably.

The moment Edward noticed he wasn't alone in the living room, he flung himself into his brother's arms. "Al!" he cried, arms wrapping around Al's torso, gripping him tightly.

Alphonse didn't know what to make of this. He almost never saw Edward cry, ever. "Brother?" he asked, fearing that Ed was hurt or anything. "What's wrong?"

Ed pulled away and held Al's face in the palms of his hands. "Where did you go!?" he cried. "Why did you leave!?"

A frown developed on Al's face. "I just went outside for a walk, Brother…" Why was Ed so upset over his absence?

With a sniffle, Ed put his forehead against Al's. "Don't scare like that," he whimpered.

"Brother, I didn't mean to scare—"

"I know Al," Ed chuckled dryly. "I just… I thought…" His grip tightened on Al. "I thought I messed up and you disappeared."

"Oh," Al couldn't help but blink. That's what Ed was so scared about? It was… oddly heartwarming. To have Ed so worried, so scared about losing Al. But really, he didn't have to worry. With a smile, Al began to stroking his brother's back, trying to soothe him. "There's nothing to worry about," he said. "Everything was perfect. Nothing went wrong."

Ed mumbled, "But promise me. Promise me you'll let me know if anything's wrong. Okay?"

"Okay."

Ed smiled and bumped his forehead against Al's. "Say it."

"I promise to let you know if anything is wrong with me. Happy?" Ed nodded. "Good." Al couldn't help but sigh contently. Oh, how nice it was to have Ed so close. So warm. It took every bit of will power to no t run his hands into those forbidden places, so those loving (in a non-brotherly way) things to him. When Ed didn't let go, it was almost too much to bear. "Brother, can you let go? I want to help you with lunch."

Ed nodded, though it took longer than necessary for him to release. "Don't go anywhere without me, please?"

"Okay, Brother."

When Ed left, Al found himself cursing. Great. Now he can't leave Ed. Now those sexual urges were stronger than before now that he knew just how much Ed loved him. He had to find something to stop himself before he did something stupid and hurt Ed.

Soon.

TBC in CH. 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: The third chapter. I want to get to the juicy part, but I also want to keep up my pace. Anyways, This is where things get mildly interesting. ;D Please R&R! D= It puts Pride on the table! Comments on how I messed up, where I can improve, personal ideas… ANYTHING!

--

**Chapter Three**

"Brother, can't I keep this one?"

"No."

"Bu-"

Ed frowned and put on the scariest face he could possibly muster at Al, "I. Said. No!"

Al's eyes were already brimming with tears. _No fair,_ he thought. "But, why not, Brother?" He stroked the kitten's soft head _just so_, and was rewarded with just an adorable 'mew.'

Sighing, the older Elric took the cat from Al's hands and exited the car with the baby feline. Sometimes, although it broke his heart to not get the one thing Al wanted the most, he had to be firm. The only reason Edward got the house was because he was under a contract that said he would remain in the house for a certain amount of years. In order to keep the house at such a cheap price, he had to follow the rules and standards.

Not having pets was one of them.

Edward headed into the animal shelter with the kitten in his hands, leaving Al in the car to sulk in the car.

"You can't really blame boss for this, Al," Havoc said from the driver's seat. He drove the boss to their destinations from time to time. Ed to HQ and Al to the animal shelter.

Al huffed. Like Havoc knew anything about his brother. Havoc wasn't there when they tried to resurrect their mother. Wasn't there when Al lost his body because Ed couldn't stand the thought of living without their mother.

Sometimes… Al really hated Edward.

He gasped softly to himself, unable to believe he even had the courage to _think _that he hated Ed. Sure, his brother was a pompous, ignorant, loud, and annoying brat sometimes, but Ed always had Al's best interest in heart.

So why would he think that he hated Ed?

---

Ed sighed as Al barely touched his stew. "Come on, Al," he said. "Eat up. I know you feel bad about the cat, but you can't stay like this forever."

"…I really wanted him…" Al mumbled.

"I know you did," Ed answered. "But we just can't take care of a cat at the moment, okay? Al, don't be like that…" he watched with sad eyes as Al stood, taking his untouched plate with him.

"I'm not hungry, Brother…"

The older scratched his head in thought. He really did feel bad. Really, really bad. But… Maybe… "How about this?" Ed began. "You can go to the shelter once a week to visit the cat. You know, like volunteer?"

Al's face brightened at the suggestion. "Can I!?"

Edward grinned. "Why not?" he said. "I'm pretty sure you get bored of being here all alone…"

"Thank you, Brother!" Al was suddenly hugging Ed, nearly tipping the chair over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Edward smiled warmly at the contact, shamelessly returning the hug. He rubbed Al's back as his little brother climbed into his lap, like he often did.

Sometimes, Ed wondered what was it about Al that made him feel so special, despite the fact that he was the one who ruined their lives at one point. Where as Al was the wise, Ed was the village fool. Yet, here was Al, smiling as he did back when their mother was alive, as though nothing has happened.

"Brother?"

He looked down to see Al resting his head on his chest, smiling in a way he had never seen before. It was happiness, but of a different kind. "Yeah, Al?"

"I love you."

---

Ed smiled as Al stumbled into the car, with cat hair clinging to his clothes. "How was it?" he asked, after Al gave his greetings and thanks to Havoc. "Did you have fun?"

"Oh, Brother, it was great!" Al gushed as they pulled out of the drive. "They have not just cats, but dogs! And birds! So many other animals, but I forgot what their called."

Havoc laughed at Al's enthusiasm. "They had dogs? Maybe I'll bring Breda here from time to time so that he can get over that fear of dogs of his…"

Ed smiled. "You're evil, Havoc." Then he turned to see Al picking at the hair that were left on his shirt. "You shouldn't pet them so much," he said, reaching over to help.

Al gasped at Ed's hand on his chest. When Edward gave him a confused look, he quickly stammered, "T-That tickled…"

The look on Ed's face wasn't really believing, but when Havoc slowed at their home, he smiled and thanked their driver. "Tell the Fhurer Bastard to drop by sometimes, will ya, Havoc?"

The smoker nodded and grinned. "I hope you don't expect me to say it word for word." And with that he drove off, leaving the Elric brothers at their front door.

The day went on as always, Ed cooking and Al trying to help as much as he could. When it was time for bed, Al made attempts to make it seem like he need to sleep with Ed. _It's gonna be cold…_ "My automail will make it worse." _I thought I heard thunder… _"That's just your imagination." _What if I have a nightmare?_

In the end, Al won and Ed simply smiled, snuggling close to his brother. They were now in bed, together, something Al just enjoyed. "I forgot to name the kitten…" Al mumbled suddenly, yawning as he did.

"You can do that tomorrow…" Ed mumbled in return.

Al nodded sleepily. _Yeah,_ he thought. _Tomorrow…_

---

Tomorrow. Al hates the word to death now. He hates it. It was Edward's fault again and this time, Alphonse didn't bother to cover his face as his cried.

The kitten, the kitten! Alphonse didn't know it wasn't a no-kill animal shelter. When he entered the building and asked for the little fella, the veterinarian had told him they had to put him to sleep. When he asked why, she explained that is the animals weren't adopted after a certain amount of time, they were euthanized.

"Al?"

The younger alchemist shook his head. Ed said he could visit the kitten! He said! But obviously Ed didn't really care, or else he would have done more research on the shelter.

And Ed knew it was partly his fault. He tried to get Al speaking to him again, but was pushed away every time. "I'm sorry," he whispered. But what could he really say? He didn't know. Ed just wanted to rid himself of the cat, that's all… It didn't have to… die.

"I-I never g-got to name him…" Alphonse wailed. He slumped forward and shielded his face from the public with his arms. He felt a wamr hand on his back, which he figured it to be Ed trying to soothe him.

"I'm sorry, Al." Ed's words seemed to mock him. How many times has Ed said it? How many times did it _actually make a difference? _"I'm really, really sorry…"

_He doesn't mean it, dammit!_

When the older brother failed to get a response, he hugged the boy with his arms and cradled him on the couch. For a long while, nothing was said, just Al sobbing and sniffling, while Ed continued to murmur Sorries.

After a while, Al got to thinking about Ed. Yes, he loved him more than a brother. Yes, he hated to have that feeling. Now? He felt that same hate he felt earlier grow. He welcomed it. If you want to stop loving someone, what better way than to hate the person? Of course, Al would love him as a brother, but would allow his hate to grow for now. That is, until he can finally move on from loving Ed too much.

TBC in CH. 4.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: Muwahahahahaha! Sorry for the wait, but I can't seem to make this very good. [Shakes her head] But I'm trying, you know? Anyways, I hope you like the story!

--

**Chapter Four**

It took several days to coax Al out of his mild depression. Ed kept his distance relatively close, but far enough so that Al could get some space. Any time they ate, there was an awkward silence that tortured Ed. When there was a storm, Ed was eagerly waiting in his bed for his little brother to come and cuddle next to him. But he didn't. He remained alone.

After a week, the phone rang. Ed answered it, partly fearing, yet hoping, it was Colonel Hakuro. That man always wants to give Ed a difficult mission that would take months to finish. Normally, he would firmly reject it, but maybe some time away from Al (God, it sounded like torture) would make things better. Maybe.

"Hello?"

"_Edward Elric!"_

The blonde alchemist flinched at the overly high pitched voice. _What did Winry want, dammit? _"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me you actually did it! God, I should have known you guys would have kept it from me, why I ought to-"

"What are you talking about?" Ed interrupted.

There are strangled snarl on the other. _Oh, damn, she's pissed_…

"_WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU GOT YOUR BODIES BACK?" _She said it so calmly, butjust by the sheer icy sound of her voice, Ed could tell that he was in for it. Of course, he hadn't meant to _not _tell her. The thought just slipped his mind, what with taking care of Al and- "I'm coming over. I'll be there tomorrow." Suddenly, Winry's voice returned to normal, cheerful even. Before Ed got a chance to object, the mechanic already hung up on him.

"Brother?"

Ed whirled at the sound of Al's voice. It was the first time since the kitten incident that Al spoke to him first. But he could see why. Al was watching him with concerned eyes. Ed must've been wearing a weird expression, or else Al wouldn't look so worried. "Is something wrong?" asked the baby brother.

"Uhm, no," Edward hung up, smiling honestly for his first time too. "It's just Winry. She's coming over to visit."

"When?"

"Tomorrow," he laughed nervously, remembering the icy cold tone of her voice. No doubt she was going to bring that cold, hard wrench with her to beat him with. What was the deal with that wrench anyway? "Heh. Maybe she'll forget the wrench at home," he said mainly to himself.

Al thought for a moment. He was excited, sure. Happy. But… He knew Ed and Winry had a thing going for each other. Ed never really got closer to another girl, other than Winry, and Winry never got so attached to another boy, save Al, who she saw as just the younger brother.

_Stop it, _Al thought. _You're supposed to be hating him…_ "Al?" He blinked himself out of his thought at the sound of his brother's voice. "Are…" He noticed Ed bit his lip, something he did when he wanted to say, or ask something he was afraid about. "Are you still mad at me? I mean, it's okay if you are and-"

Al couldn't help but shake his head with a thin smile. "No, Brother… I was never mad at you… I…just…" Remembering how small, how helpless, the kitten was, he sighed. "I just wish it didn't happen you know?"

Ed softly sighed, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding. "I know," he said, smiling softly. Then, he straightened up and said, "…Let's get things ready so Winry won't have reason to complain that we're living like pigs."

"Kay, Brother."

---

The next day, the boys waited for Winry at their home. She didn't tell then what time she was going to arrive, so they cleaned up and spent the rest of the time reading. Well… Al did, anyway. Ed just sat there, book in his lap, thinking about whether or not Winry brought the damned wrench.

When someone knocked the door, it was Alphonse who eagerly went to answer. Ed was equally "eager" to wait in the kitchen.

"Winry!" Alphonse smiled at his friend softly, but frowned slightly when he realized she was staring with confused eyes. Then he realized she didn't know who this new boy was. "It's me, Alphonse!"

"Al…?" She questioned. He nodded. "Oh, Al! It really is you!" She threw herself at him and much to his surprise, she hugged him with a sort of strength that only Armstrong should have. When she released him, she asked, "Where's Ed?"

There was shuffling and soon Ed was poking his head out of the kitchen door. "Er, hi, Winry!" he said. "Long time, no see," he waited for the glint of silver, the cold of metal. Intead, he blushed as Winry went to him and gave him the same hug Al received. There was a moment of hesitation , before he returned the gesture.

Winry pulled away at the feel of his arms and frowned. "Ed, you didn't…?"

Ed grinned and happily rotated his artificial arm. "There was only enough for one of us," he said. "Besides, if I had my real limbs back, that'd put you out of bussiness, no?"

Winry smiled, and turned back to Al, staring at him with a more observing eye. "Wow, you wouldn't think he'd change so much after four years," she said, smiling. "But I can still see some of that chubby boy in him."

Al blushed at the statement. Had he really been that "chubby?"

"Why don't you sit down, Winry?" Ed smiled, "I want you to try out some of my cooking."

"Oh, so now you can cook?"

The day went on with small talk, compliments on Al's looks, jokes about Ed's cooking and height. Although the mood was cheery, Al couldn't help but note how much more attention Ed was receiving from Winry. He barely spoke half the time, keeping to himself, cursing Ed silently in his head for having his life so… perfect.

"Remember that time Russell hit me?" Ed asked Al. When Winry frowned at the question, he explained. "I had to lay my head on Al's lap to stop the swelling. What with him being cold armor and all…"

Al flinched at the memory. Yes, he did remember that time. He also remembered why Ed was even hit in the first place. Him being so pompous and all…

"What did you guy do with the armor, anyways?" Winry asked.

_Yeah,_ Al thought. _What did you do with it? _He didn't really think about it. The moment he regained his body, he was more preoccupied with breathing.

Ed hesitated to answer. "I, uh… Well…"

"Brother?" Al said. "What did you do with it…?"

Ed's face paled. Something was up, Al realized. "Well," Ed coughed into his hand. "I-I threw it away…"

"You, _what!?_" Al shrieked, leaping to his feet. "How could you!?" Okay, sure it wasn't nice being the armor for four years, but dammit, that had _been _him! That was what he was! He was an armor shell for four year and Ed has the gall to tell him he'd thrown it away!?

"W-Well, it broke apart-"

"That doesn't matter, Brother!" Al cried. "That was me! How could you throw away what I once was-"

"I was scared of it." Ed said softly. "Just drop it, okay Al? I was scared of it. It's not like we needed it anymore."

Winry coughed into her own hand, in an attempt to remind them that she was still there. "Uhm… It's a bit late. Know any place where I can stay at…?"

"You can stay here," Ed sighed. "We have a guest room. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah," Al agreed, bitterly. "It is rather late. I'm turning in early," he ignored Ed's pained expression as he made his way to his own room. He shut it silently behind him, leaving Ed alone with Winry in awkward silence.

---

Winry fidgeted in her seat. Maybe it was best she hadn't come at all… "Sorry-"

"It's not your fault," Ed said softly. "I was just so damned scared of the armor…"

"But why?"

Edward frowned at the question. Why wouldn't he throw it away? Al had spent so many years in it. Suffered so much in it. All because of him. Maybe he threw it away so that he wouldn't have to remember it was all his fault in the first place. "I just had to…"

They went back to silence for a moment. Winry sighed and stood up. "I wanna see your automail," she said.

"It's rather late-"

"I just wanna see it," she said firmly. Ed nodded and began pulling up his sleeve until Winry added, "Can we go into your room, though? I'll need you to lie down for me to get a better look at it."

Ed blinked. It was a rather strange for her to want to see it so suddenly. And she didn't even bring her tools! "Uhm, sure."

---

Alphonse sighed as stared at the ceiling above him. _He threw it away. Ed threw the old him away. How could he?_

He began to feel tears spring up in his eyes and he wiped them away angrily. How many times was Ed going to make the same mistake? Do things without hearing his brother out? How many time was he going to unintentionally hurt him?

It was Ed's unintentional actions that sealed Al in that armor. It was Ed's unintentional actions that the kitten had died. His unintentional actions that he threw his former self away.

Unintentional or not, it was Ed's fault. All Ed's fault.

Alphonse turned to his side to ignore the voices in his head.

---

"…Ah! Winry, dammit, where did you learn that?"

Winry giggled softly and kissed Ed's lips. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.

Strange, Ed thought. Very strange. First, she was just checking his automail, promising she'd be quick about it. Somehow, they had began talking about the feeling, the sensation of things. Then… Then she kissed him! Sure, he hadn't expected it, but he didn't reject it either. His body reacted. He had liked the feel of it. And Ed wanted more. With what happened earlier in the day, he just wanted a reason to forget.

A reason to not be responsible to Al anymore. After all, he was still a teenager. He deserved this, after all that crap he went through. Right?

Now they were both in bed, giggling madly and kissing and touching each other.

Very strange indeed.

Winry moved, grazing her thigh against his erection. Ed moaned softly. With his mechanical arm, he hooked her waist and rolled. "I'm going to be on top," he growled.

Winry smiled seductively. "But you're so small…"

Ed lowered himself and nuzzled her neck. Inhaling her scent, he said, "Not all of me is small. I'll assure you of _that_."

TBC in CH. 5.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: I know! I was gone for far too long for this small chapter. But I just graduated!! xD And the ceremony's on Thursday, so yeah. Give me some time. The next chapter will be a bit more heart wrenching, I hope.

--

**Chapter Five**

Morning sun rays began seeping into the Ed's room. He groaned and tried to lift his flesh arm, only to find out someone was holding onto him. With a start, he bolted up and realized that he was naked. In bed. With…Winry.

He felt a strange tingling go up his spine. Part of him was excited; the other, shameful. What had gotten into him last night? He didn't drink and he was fully aware of his actions. And so was Winry…

Suddenly, there was a knock on his bedroom and Al marched in, looking frantic. "Brother, Winry's-! " His voice faded quickly as his eyes took in what was in front of him. Ed's… naked!? And-and Winry! What the _hell _was she doing in his bed? He was just in the guest room and found no one. He had thought something might have happened to her.

Ed froze. "A-Al," he stammered. Damn! He's been living with Al for a while and now, suddenly, he felt like a total stranger. He wasn't sure what words would or could explain this awkward scenario.

Alphonse shifted his gaze to the floor, which suddenly seemed very interesting. "Sorry, Brother," he said, inching his way out. God, how thankful he was that Winry wasn't awake. "I didn't know you were busy." With a soft click, he shut the door and all Ed heard were quick footsteps going down the hall.

---

Winry woke up later in the morning and had a serious "talk" with Ed about the night before. She had a boyfriend, as it turned out. And the only reason she started something with Ed was because he seemed rather stressed. Ed had snorted, feeling slightly hurt. Oh, so Winry thought that having sex with him would take his mind off of things?

He hadn't mentioned to her that Al walked in on them. No point anyway. And since Winry had… somewhat lied to him, he decided to keep the fact that Al walked in to himself. Equivalent exchange, after all…

And Al. Al had spent the rest of the morning numb. He didn't want to see that. Didn't want to give Ed up. The fact that Ed had confessed that he threw Al's armor away and the gall to sleep with Winry the same night…

"You guys gotta visit us sometimes!" Winry gushed, awkwardness gone from her system. "Granny would want to see what you guy did."

"I'll be sure to drop by," Ed grunted.

Al noted the change in Ed's mood. Maybe Ed was upset that Al just burst in without warning? But how was it his fault? They didn't have the decency to lock the damn door!!

Shutting the door lightly, Ed faced his brother with a serious face. He waited until he couldn't hear the girl's lightly footsteps anymore to speak. "Al, about this morning…"

"Forget about it." Al's voice sounded wounded. Hurt. At least that's what Ed thought. "L-Let's just forget this ever happened, okay?"

Ed looked up to see something fall from Al's face. Water? Wait, was Al crying!? "Al…" God, what if Al had liked Winry? What if he was in love with her? Ed had no such feelings for Winry, but Al might have. What would Ed do if he ever walked in on Mustang making love to Al?

Ed swallowed at the rage that appeared at the simple image. "God, Al… I-I'm so-"

"Just forget it, Brother." The whole day had made Al feel so unwanted. So worthless. "I don't want to talk about this. Not right now." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and drew in a deep breath to calm himself. Looking at Ed with eyes brimming with tears, he smiled. "You're going to be late for work."

TBC in CH. 6.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: Sorry for the long update again, but heh. I'm a bit ashamed at how this one came out. I just couldn't get the image out right. , Please, if you favorite or alert this... Review? I swear, I get nervous because I know there are people who like this, but they don't let me know what I should do to make it better. TELL ME PEOPLE! Also, we're nearing the end...

--

**Chapter Six**

There was yet another picture of two small children shoved to Ed's face when he arrived to work the same morning. "Look! Lisa fell this morning and little Troy was such a good big brother to help his baby sister!" Fuhrer Roy Mustang squealed with happy delight. "I just had to get it in picture!"

Ed found it oddly disturbing yet comforting that Roy had turned into a mild clone of Hughes. Always showing pictures of his kids, Lisa and Troy. But he didn't brag about his beloved wife. Oh no. Not since she'd drive a bullet into his skull if he did.

"Nice to see you, Fuhrer," Ed said stiffly. He still wasn't used to calling him that. And since there was still a guard around, Ed had to keep in mind that he had to be more respectable, despite of how close they really were.

There was a small twitch on Roy's lips. He waved to dismiss the guard. When they were finally alone, he said, "Ah, I'll never get tired of hearing that phrase come out of your tiny little mouth, Fullmetal."

"I'll tell Hawkeye about the pictures." Ed replied slyly. "You know she doesn't like it when you sneak pictures into your work."

"You wouldn't dare." A hint of fear in Roy's part.

"Oh, I would." Ed's view of Roy never changed. Every now and then he would accidentally call him "Colonel" instead of "Fuhrer." Or he would forget that in public, he couldn't really mess with him. "Let's not forget, we are at work."

"Yeah, yeah," the Fuhrer began looking into his cabinets for papers. "How's Al, by the way? I don't really get to him as much. I assume everything's okay?"

At that question, Ed couldn't help but let his gaze fall to the ground. "Yeah," he lied. "He's doing fine. Picked up on cooking, but he's complaining about not doing anything."

"Really?" Roy noted the boy's sudden change in behavior. He's known Ed for years now. Ed always talked about Al with a happy… mood? No. More like pride. Just now though… Was that shame? "You know, he's always welcome to come over to our place. Lisa and Troy need a study buddy for their alchemy."

"I'll let him know." Ed said faintly. When he looked up, he noted that Roy was staring at him with a piercing gaze. The kind that said, "You sure?" But really? It wasn't anything Ed couldn't handle.

"I'm sure you will," Roy said simply. He passed several papers to Ed and marked an "x" to every part that needed to be signed.

While Ed signed away on his latest reports, Roy sighed and leaned back in his massive chair. "I'm almost regretting that I even accepted this job," he whined. "There are more papers to sign than ever! And Riza, always saying that there is no in hell that she'll wear a miniskirt."

"You didn't even bother on making that a mandatory rule," Ed mumbled, but he knew the real reason Roy hadn't carried out his miniskirt plan. There was no way in hell Roy was going to let other men oogle at Riza. Not while he was around. Not _even _when he wasn't around.

When that was all done, Ed passed the papers back. When he stood to leave, Roy made a signal for him to stay a bit longer. Gesturing him to sit back, he asked, "How is Al? Really?"

"I said he's good, no?" Ed forced a smile, but it took some effort. "What's up with you?"

Roy made a sort of a face that made Ed feel like he was his dad. It must be because he was a father now. "Nothing, I'm asking a question." He went silent for a while, before smiling in a way that Hughes did, once upon a time. "You can always talk to me, Fullmetal. That is all." Turning in his chair, he waved him off. "You are dismissed."

---

Ed sighed. It was the end of the day and it was time to return home to an awkward Al. What would he say? He never really got around to talk to Al.

_Whatever,_ Ed thought. _I'll just do what I always do. Not like he's going to hate me, anyway._

_---_

Alphonse Elric did what he could to try to forget. Cooking had been a bust, since he almost burned himself several times already. So he settled in cleaning the house for comfort.

_The closet, _Al told himself. No one's ever fixed up the closet… He shuffled over to the closet and opened it's door, only to gasp at the mess in it. Hangers tangled into each other in way that couldn't be separated.

How in the world did Ed manage to get his clothes out?

Al began separating the clothes away from the hangers. He may as well wash them, too. As he reached for another pair of pants, something red caught his eyes. Ed's jacket. It was hanging at the very end of the closet, hidden from the world.

There was something about the sight that comforted Al. Yes, it was because Ed had worn this jacket before things got so awkward. Sure, things weren't great back then, but at least they weren't breaking apart. Not like now.

_I should wash it, for Brother_. Al smiled at the thought. _He would be happy…_

He reached for it and tugged. It wouldn't come off from the hanger. Al frowned and tugged some more, but got the same result. _Stupid… jacket…!!_

_RRRIIIIIIPPPP!!!_

Al gasped as he was falling back a bit. Gaining his balance, he looked up to see the jacket's right sleeve hanging by a thread. _Shit!!_

Al looked at the clock. Ed would be coming home soon. He had to fix it somehow. Alchemy? No. Ed would be able to tell…

Sewing it back together seemed like the only hope he had. Running about, Al found some scissors, thread and needle. He knew little about sewing, but he knew the basics. Their mother had taught them how to fix small holes and such when they were children.

Scissor in hand, he decided to try to cut out the shredded edges. Gotta hem it, the slip-stitch it back to the jacket… He poised the scissor in a particular angle and was about to make the first cut when the door opened, followed by a strained, "I'm home."

He looked up in time to Ed just stop and stare at him. Ed's flickered from his jacket, to Al, and to the scissors he was holding. "What are you doing?" he asked, deadly calm.

Al wasn't sure how to answer. It was an accident, but it was Ed's most priced possession. "I-I was trying to-"

"What the _hell_ did you do to my jacket!?" Ed's voice turned angry. Harsh. How could Al do this? Was he so mad at him that he'd destroy the only thing connecting him to his dead teacher?

He stormed up to where Al was kneeling and reached for his jacket. "How could you do this!? You know how much this means to me!"

Al clung to the jacket, feeling even worse than before. "I-I was trying to fix the closet and-"

"Let go!"

"No! Look, I can fix-"

"Dammit, Al! Let go!!"

"J-Just let me explain-"

_Thwack! _

Ed blinked as a _thud _followed the sound soon after. He stared at Al, eyes wide as Al did the same from the floor. Lifting a shaky hand to his cheek, Al winced at the stinging sensation and stared at the bit of blood that came off on his hand. Looking back at Ed, he whispered, "You hit me…" A statement, not a question.

Ed simply stared at Al, then as his metal fist. He'd never struck Al since he regained his body. He was hell bent on not letting Al suffer with pain again, emotional, mental, or physical. Yet here he was, having not just hitting him, but hitting him with his _automail hand_.

Ed swallowed down the guilt that he began to feel. "You-You…" He gritted his teeth. "I bring back your body and this is how you repay me!?" False words, just something to try and justify his actions.

Al flinched at the words. Repay? Something in him seemed to break at the word. Shakily, he stood, refusing to let tears of pain fall. "Sorry, Brother…" he mumbled. Just when he was sure that the tears were about to fall he turned and ran to his bedroom, slamming he door as he did.

Leaving Ed all alone in the living room.

TBC in CH. 7.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: Short chapter. I know, I know. Something's up with my brain. It hates me. Argh, I need to find my rhythm. So please bear with me, while I actually think about the next chapter.

--

**Chapter Seven**

Alphonse ripped the blanket off his bed, before collapsing on top of it and shielding his face with it. The tears were flowing and he didn't want to show Ed how much he really hurt him. When the blanket brushed against his cheek, he couldn't help but wince. Was it a deep cut? Maybe he should have checked out…

No. He was not going to get help on this. He could perfectly handle this on his own. After all, why would he want to _burden _Ed with his injury? Ha.

Al lifted his hand and lightly touched his cheek. It felt deep, but the pain didn't really come from that. It came from the fact that Ed actually hit him. Over what? A jacket? Sure, Al thought, it was from Teacher, but really. Ed didn't let him explain.

The only thing that made the jacket special was the fact that it had the same design Teacher had tattooed on her chest…

He blinked. Edward only cared about the flamel symbol. _Maybe if… _Alphonse smiled sadistically as a way to repay Ed formed in his mind.

---

Edward looked at his jacket. Fixing it was a simple matter, but alchemy always left traces of the transmutation. It would look "normal" to say the least, but it would never look like it used to.

Breathing in deeply, he clapped his hands and reached for his jacket. But he let his hand drop, unwilling to recreate his jacket. Not this way, at least. Looking at the scissors and thread left on the floor, he silently wished he wasn't so hotheaded.

Or violent.

Sighing, he folded what he could of his jacket and stood. This time, he was going to talk to Al. His wasn't going to _apologize_, because he hadn't done anything wrong (except for hitting sweet, sweet Alphonse). No. He was just going to go in, and set him straight. The thing with Winry was a mistake. Making his way to the door, he listened closely for what may be sobs, and such. Instead, he heard faint whimpering.

He jiggled the doorknob, to see if it was locked. It was.

"Al?" Edward gripped his jacket with his automail hand. "I need to talk to you…"

"Go away," was the response he got. A strangled, whimpering response. "I don't want to talk-" Did he just grunt? "-right now."

Ed frowned. He leaned in a bit more onto the door. "I'm not giving you a choice," he said in his sternest tone. "We have to talk."

He could hear Al's whimper-ish. "Oh, _now _we have to talk. Now's the _best _time to talk- Ah _shit_," Ed could hear Alphonse gasp and _sob_?

"Al, what are you doing in there?" Edward never liked having to hear Al curse. And when he did, it was either when he was scared, or really hurt.

There was a moment of silence. "What am I doing?" Al's voice was soft. "I'm _repaying my debt_, Brother." He gave a out a soft choked cry. "An arm for an arm…" Ed's eyes widened. "A flamel symbol for a flamel symbol…"

"Al, open the door this instant." Ed slammed his automail hand on the door. When he heard Al cry out, -"Aw, shit, it _hurts_!"- he clapped his hands together, dropping his jacket, and slammed them onto the door.

Barging into Al's room, Ed panicked as he saw his little brother on his bed, digging a small knife into his shoulder, and bleeding onto the white sheets beneath him.

"What are you doing!?" Ed yelled, pulling the knife away from his little brother. Worry overrode him. What had he done? Dear god, Al was injuring himself? Taking a closer look at the wound, he swallowed hard at the sight. Al was carving the flamel symbol into his right shoulder.

Al blinked, tears of pain flowing down his cheeks. "I'm _repaying _you, Brother," he said calmly, placing his left hand on this wound. "Everything I owe you. The flamel symbol, my arm…"

"You cut yourself!" Ed yelled. "You… you…" He sucked his breath in. "God, Al. If this is about Winry..." He stood up and ran from his little brother, later returning with a first aid kit. As he began pulling out the roller bandage, Al had managed to reach for the knife, but not before having it slapped away from him. "Goddamit Al, _don't do that!_"

"But how am I going to repay you, Brother? My arm for your arm, _equivalent exchange_." Al leaned back, letting his brother bandage him up. He didn't comment on how Edwards was now freely crying, murmuring _sorry's _again. "A flamel symbol for the one on your jacket." He felt that same familiar blush when Ed leaned his head into his neck. Without thinking, really, he lifted his older brother's face to his, and whispered, "A sin for a sin," before pressing his lips onto Ed's.

TBC. In CH 8


	8. Chapter 8

**Title**: Boiling Point

**Rating**: M, for mature situations, yaoi, implied sex, and a pairing that may make people hurl. (For weird reasons.)

**Summary**: Everyone has a boiling point. Ed's tolerance for stupid thing is small, so he snaps more often than he should. But Al can tolerate just about anything. And when strange things begin to happen to his body and he starts craving for things that would disgust anyone, he decides that this once, it's okay to blame Edward.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA or any of the characters. I made this Fanfic purely out of entertainment and I did not make any sort of profit off of this.

**Author's Notes**: PLEASE NOTE!!! This is the last chapter. Something's come up and I can't really "fully" finish this. That is why I decided to end it a chapter short, filled with flashbacks, without having Fuhrer Mustang to actually wrap it up. But do not worry! I shall be back and hopefully, have another Elricest story waiting for you. So yeah. Thank you for reading.

--

**Chapter Eight**

_Ed pulled away, face red with embarrassment (or shame?). "W-What?"_

_Al lowered his gaze. His mind was so unstable. The sin, the plans, the cat, his armor, Winry and Ed having sex, being hit, wanting, yet hating. It was all so jumbled._

---

Al was crying. Ed was holding him.

---

"_I'm going to give back everything I owe," Al whispered softly. "You gave up your arm for me. I'll give you mine." He reached out and grabbed Ed's metal arm. "I messed up the flamel, so I made another on my arm. Hopefully, it'll scar…" He led the arm onto the wound, smiling softly. "You committed a taboo, Brother. I owe you one, too."_

"_Let me go." Ed's voice was strained. So that was it. Al, dear Al… Was he going to give himself up to Ed? Because Ed said Al OWED it to him? "Al, you're wrong. You-"_

---

Al's shoulder was half wrapped. Ed's face was covered in bruises.

---

"_I'm wrong?" Al whispered. "Why? Brother, nothing's wrong with Equivalent Exchange." He grabbed Ed's collar and pulled him close for another kiss._

"_Al, stop it!" Ed raised his hands and shoved his injured brother off the bed, practically knocking the wind out of him. When he heard Al cry out (Oh god, not again), he was instantly at his side. Al was crying. Al was finally breaking. Ed reached out for his brother, "Al…"_

"_Don't touch me!" Al slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare touch me, dammit! I am sick of this crap!" Ed frowned, but when his gaze fell onto Al's bloody shoulder, he understood. Al thought Ed was going to beat him. Again._

"_Al, please-"_

"_I HATE YOU!" Al shrieked. "I hate the fact that I love you! I hate you loving Winry! I hate you for throwing the old me away!"_

_Those words…_

_Ed decided enough was enough. In a moment, his was grabbing Al by the shoulders. "Now wait just a mi-"_

"_AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" In fear and self defense, Al pulled his arm back and punched Ed. _

_As his little brother proceeded to "repay" him for all the pain he's felt, Ed numbly wondered why everyone thought Al was sweet. Al, sweet Al, forgave anyone for almost anything. But when his feelings are hurt… Well, let's just say no one could ever defeat Al in a fight to the death._

---

"Al, don't cry…" Ed tried to gently force the boy to look at him, but every time he managed to get to look, Al broke out in more tears.

"S-so stupid…" Al hiccupped. "I hate this, Buh-brother. I really do." He straightened himself and finally, on his own, looked at Ed. "I'm so sorry. I take back eh-everything I said. I-It's not your fuh-fault…"

The older alchemist gently forced him to lay back in his bed. Alphonse complied and held Ed tightly in his arms.

Ed usually snapped more frequently than most. His tolerance was lower than most people's. Al was more emotionally stable, rarely snapping unless truly and utterly hurt. When he snaps, he _snaps_.

"B-Big Brother?"

Ed smiled softly at the term "Big." He loves Al calling him Brother, but Big Brother was better. "Yes, Al?"

Al swallowed hard. "You hate me, don't you?" he managed out. "A-Are you going to leave- Ah!" He was interrupted with a pair of lips, going onto his own. He felt himself tense, thinking perhaps, this was his punishment, but relaxed when Ed kissed his hurt cheek.

"I don't hate you, Al. I love you." Ed's face was decorated with various shades of blue and purple. Al began tearing up, wondering how in the world he managed to ever hurt Ed. At the first sign of a whimper, Ed smiled and answered his unasked question. "You just needed to vent. It's not as bad as it looks…" His eyes fell to the half wrapped wound on Al's shoulder and his eyes narrowed. "But if you ever do _that _again, I swear I'll kick your ass."

"W-What about Winry?"

Ed made a face. "I'm not with her. Don't worry about it. She's got another guy to beat." He lifted his hand to caress the his cheek. "Al, I'm sorry I hit you… It's just… Teacher's gone… A-And it's not the flamel, just what it meant to me." When Al opened his mouth once more to apologize, he silenced him with a finger to his lips. "And I know you didn't do it on purpose. I'm sorry."

They laid in silence, Al hiccupping with regret and Ed gently stroking Al's cheek. After a while, Al said quietly, "Do you really love me, Brother? I-I know it's sorta stupid to ask, but you threw my armor away… so I'm wondering, do you really love me?"

Ed thought about his response. "I threw the armor away, not because I hate you, but because it scared me." To Al's confused face, he continued, "Think of it this way, Breda's scared of dogs, right?" Al nodded. "If given the chance, I'm sure Breda would get rid of Hayate, don't you think?" He was reward with a soft chuckle. "Of course, he's more scared of Hawkeye's guns, so I'm sure he'd deal with the dog."

Al snuggled to his older brother. "So, you do love me?"

Ed wrapped his arms around Al, tugging him close. "Of course. I'm not scared of another sin. Jeez, if you wanted to get with me, you should have just told me."

"I was scared."

"So was I."

Al smiled thinly and kissed Ed's bruised cheek. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Aa," Ed made a thoughtful face. "Be a couple, I guess? Be all lovey-dovey and touch each other?" Despite the fact Ed was joking, the older alchemist couldn't help but blush. He cast Al a side glance. "What do you think?"

"R-Right now?" Al's words made him blush more deeply. Apparently, Al _wasn't _joking.

"W-Well if you want…" For once, Ed was at a loss for words.

The younger blond shifted and laid on top of Ed. He was blushing darkly, but smiling shyly. "If you don't mind," he replied, "then I don't." He concluded his sentence with a deep kiss, one Ed was more than happy to return.

End.


End file.
